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The Pentagon has suspended flights of Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter after a routine inspection found a crack on an engine blade, the Department of Defense said in a statement Friday.

The Pentagon has suspended flights of Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter after a routine inspection found a crack on an engine blade, the Department of Defense said in a statement Friday.

The crack was found on a jet operating at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

The engine's turbine is being sent to manufacturer Pratt & Whitney's production facility in Middletown, Conn., for closer examination.

"It is too early to know the fleet-wide impact of the recent finding," the Defense Department said in a statement. "The F-35 Joint Program Office is working closely with Pratt & Whitney and Lockheed Martin at all F-35 locations to ensure the integrity of the engine and return the fleet safely to flight as soon as possible."

The cost of the F-35 program's 2,443 aircraft is estimated at $395.7 billion, according to Bloomberg News, a 70 percent increase since 2001.

Jeff Clabaugh covers general assignment and provides business coverage for WTOP.

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